new member to the site and have no idea where to start my gear research...

Background: 5-10 170; been snowboarding for over 15 years and currently ride a Rossingnol Levitation with Burton Custom bindings and Nideker Peak boots (all 3 very old - haven't purchased new since I bought the board in 2001-2002 ish)

I consider my self an advanced rider for sure - no freestyle, but big, fast, all mountain riding - the faster the better. I usually go out west 2x / year for a week each but other than that I'm mainly on the east coast riding mountains in southern VT.

I haven't tried to look for new boards but want all new gear for this season ASAP.

Like mentioned above I love the speed of the Levitation - what would you recommend for new gear, dont want to break the bank here either lol - maybe 700-800 for all the gear....

Boots; you shouldn't skimp on or buy on the internet. go to a shop and find ones that fit you right. burton, k2, ride, 32, dc, nike, nitro, salomon, vans all make good boots, spend at least $200 (retail) on boots.

__________________Dude, suckin at somethin' is just the first step to bein' sorta good at somethin'

Awesome! Thanks for the quick response - I agree with the boots, those will be purchased at my local shop.

There are so many boards out there these days and the tech has evolved so much since 2001/02 when I bought the Rossi - turns out that was the perfect board for the type of riding I like to do - big and fast!

Although knocked for being the bully on the block, your style of riding screams Custom X. All mountain camber is hard to beat for speed and carving. This board forces you to fix any flaws in your technique, rides fast and hard.

Not a bad combo for 200ish if you don't mind a bit of wear and tear. That years custom bindings were super stiff. Still have a pair in the closet and after comparing then to some of the more recent offerings, Rome 390 Bosses, Missions etc. those highbacks were rock solid. Weak point was the toe strap rachets, engaged the teeth at an angle and wore the straps out fast, replacements can be had from burton for $5 or so, plan on replacing em if you go that route.

My weight fluctuates between 160-180 and found that 156 is a great length. And that Custom X has no problems holding an edge due to it's concrete stiffness. Unless your surfing pow often (which the X does not handle well) imo 159-161 would be a bit big but then again it comes down to rider preference.